Unexpected

Summary: How does one's feelings come about for another? The answer, no one really knows until it unexpectedly hits you when you realise that you may be losing that person for good.

Chapter 1

Severus couldn’t recall exactly when his feelings for the Gryffindor
witch had changed. It was strange for him to even admit that he,
Severus Snape, previously a death eater, a double agent and now once
again the dour Potions Master, the bat of the dungeons of Hogwarts
allowed such a slip of a girl – no, woman to find a way into his heart. How she managed to do that, he did not know, but somehow she did.

Should he be bothered by it? Of course he should, but was he? Well
the obviously answer was no, not when he couldn’t keep his obsidian eyes
off of her twirling form, swirl around the Great Hall from where he
stood.

She was no longer his student, no longer the woman who was considered off limits. But still to him, she was in a way.

The past year had been a challenge for him. He had returned to his
old post at Hogwarts, forever haunting him of his past memories. It was
a reminder that he was to forever remain alone. A sad pitiful man, who
wished for death to welcome him once more and very soon.

He had wished for it day in and day out, wished for this life he
lived to have ended that fateful day in the Shrieking Shake. A day that
had not had happen, instead he was reminded every waking minute with
the presence of a bushy hair witch who had sat in the very front of his
class.

Hermione Granger, one third of the golden trio, the princess of
Gryffindor, the one who plagued his life these past several years. The
one who was responsible for his survival during the war. The one who he
had despised right from the very day he had regain consciousness at St.
Mungos.

He had learned that she was the one who saved him from bleeding out,
the one who contacted for help and the one who was able to stop Nagini’s
venom from further spreading through his blood stream. It was because
of her, that he was once again living in this retched world. Living
this pitiful existence he called life. And to make it worse he had to
deal with her once again at Hogwarts for one more bloody year.

Why she had returned was confusing on its own. He knew for a fact
that she was classified as a war hero. Was given a choice to any type
of job of her choosing, without the need of her N.E.W.T scores like so
many in her class. It was an easy path she could have chosen, but it
wasn’t what she had decided in the end. And somehow he knew that she
would never accepted such an easy way out of hard work and dedication
with nothing to show for it.

As the year went on, Severus had noticed quite a difference in the
witch. She was no longer the annoying insufferable know-it-all, waving
her hand obnoxiously in the air when the class was asked a question.
Even so, she was no longer insufferable, there was no way to erase the
fact that she was still a know-it-all. Just a know-it-all without all
the aggravating additions from her younger self piled on.

She had changed, he could see that now, see it in her eyes, see how
the way she perceived everything around her. She was more alert to her
surroundings and that was all thanks to that ungodly war. Many lives
were changed that day. Everyone had lost someone close to them.
Whether they were fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, lover or friend,
everyone was affected from it. And still with the knowledge, knowing
that she as well had suffered, he couldn’t seem to act any differently
toward her. In fact he did not act any differently to anyone else now
as he thought about it. He was still cranky, still moody and always
constantly ripping into a dunderhead student who was not paying
attention in class like normal.

Severus’s treatment did not change towards Hermione as days went by,
though his disgust for her was no longer there. He had forgiven her in a
silent way of his. There was no words he spoke to say that he did,
only actions.

He was no longer sneering at her, or tearing apart her essay that was
still three or five inches over the required amount needed. There was
no venom laced in his tone when she spoke to him, it was instead
replaced with cordial one. In all his entire attitude changed around
her.

It was halfway through the school year when she had come up to him
unexpectantly at the end of class asking him if he would take her on as
an apprentice after graduation. Her question had startled him to say
the least. It was quite unexpected coming from her. Every professor in
the school knew she was more passionate about Charms and magical
creature rights and no one could forget her S.P.E.W. campaign her forth
year. He truly believed that she would have chosen a career in one of
those areas, but potions? Well that never crossed his mind, nor did he
pinned her down as one to pursue a master in such a field.

He had never taken on an apprentice, and he knew he should
reject her. His mind was telling him that was what he should do. It
had gone through all the pros and cons, listing everything that would
end up happening, stacking them in neat little piles for him to sort
through.

Sure he knew he was sort of getting along with her now. They were on
good standing terms, but to be prolonged in her presence and teaching
her for another two years on top of teaching dunderheads, who had not a
care for the art of potion making, was asking a little too much.

The determination he had seen in her eyes that day, had told him
right away if he was to reject her, she was bound to keep asking him
until he caved in. So he had agreed only by setting terms down. If she
was able to pass the trial period, consisting of the remainder of the
school year, he would consider allowing her to study underneath his
tutelage.

Severus had made it a task to sway her from wanting to pursue such a
path. Trying to keep her heart from being set on wanting to apprentice
underneath him by making this trail annoyingly boring. He had made her
clean out the storage cabinet several times the muggle way. Relabel
jars and replace expired ingredients with newly fresh ones. He denied
her the use of her wand, the use of muggle rubber gloves, he had stunted
any attempt from her doing so. Not only did he do that, Severus had
her scrub the all the first and second years’ cauldrons and so forth.As
much as he tried to make it hard on her, to coax her from this choice,
she still pushed forward. Biting her tongue whenever she thought one
thing to another was unfair. And he couldn’t help but admire the
persistence she had. Hermione’s keen determination radiated off of her
in waves day in and day out, regardless that she was doing the same old
thing over and over.

When April had arrived, he had decided to teach her more difficult
potions. How slicing or dicing certain ingredients were better for some
and while not for others. He had shown her some of the older, more
ancient complex potions that only a few potion masters were capable of
doing. Involving a series of chants while stirring, or even adding a
complex charm, all of which he was surprised that she had grasped quite
fluently, as if it was almost second nature to her.

As the days went by, Severus was noticing Hermione more as a person
and not just one of his students. He slowly started noticing all the
familiar signs of affection for the young witch. Affections that he
knew were wrong.

He no longer seen her as a child but a woman grown. There were no
signs of the child he once knew her to be. She was no longer knees and
elbows, but curves and feminine grace. Her smell was enticing, and the
look in her eyes were very alluring.

His affections for her was clearly wrong, even if he never pursued
them. He was her teacher and not only that he was also twice her age,
old enough to be her father. But still it did not stop his feelings for
her from growing. What befuddle him was when did she find a way to
creep into his soul and grasp on to his heart..

Lily had always been the one who had a hold on his heart, even after
death. But now, the friend he loved so dearly was slowly being replaced
by another. One who did not judged him for his past deeds, one who
forgave him and knew that he did not mean what he did, the one who cared
enough about him to come back and save his miserable life.

Hermione was different from Lily by far. There was some similarities to them, but they were still different in many ways.

Severus had believed he could keep such frivolous feelings at bay.
Though as time went on his fondness for the witch kept growing more and
more. And he knew that he couldn’t be her mentor.

Being in her presence was hard enough. The bright smile she gave
him, the musical laughter he had somehow coaxed out of her pretty little
mouth, enlighten his darken soul. His heart would race, beating wildly
behind his rib cage when they touched hands as he showed her the proper
way to stir an intricate design in a particular brew. His mind always
commenting internally how soft her skin felt underneath his fingers.
And the very last day in May did his mind wander off, question if the
rest of her body felt as soft as her touch.

It was that final thought that made him decide to cease this so called trial period.

Hermione was devastated that it had happen. Severus remembered the
look in her eyes that day. Tears forming in her eyes, threatening to
spill down her cheeks, though they never did in his presence. He had
wanted to scoop her up in his arms and hold her tight and explain his
reasons why. But if he did that he did not know how she would react.
And if she did not care for him in that way, well to say the final days
of her school year would be quite awkward.

So instead of acting his normal cordial self he reverted back to his
former foul self. He berated himself for acting such like a bloody arse
to her, especially when she pleaded for him not to discontinue teaching
her. And as hard as she tried, he did not bugged with his final
decision.

After that day Hermione and he did not speak to one another. It
pained him, hearing her laugh ringing out in the halls, knowing that he
was not the cause for such a lovely tune. That when he looked at her,
she did not smile that beautiful radiate smile of hers, his way. The
look he had received was one of hurt and he cursed himself for making
her feel that way. And here he was sipping champagne on her graduation
day, watching her twirling around the dance floor in different men’s
arms.

He felt a twinge of jealousy, one he did not deserve to have when he
was the one to have pushed her away. It wasn’t as if they were an item,
but seeing all the different drooling dunderheads fighting to get her
attention, he couldn’t keep such a feeling tampered. As the music came
to an end, Severus finished his drink and strolled over to where she
stood with a purpose.

“Miss Granger, may I have the next dance?” He asked, holding out his hand.

He waited silently, looking at the witch as she timidly nodded her
head at him with her bottom lip trapped between her teeth. The young
man standing beside her glared at him when he walked away with her hand
in hand, knowing full well that he had been pushed aside for the greasy
git.

There was only silence between them during the first couple turns
around the room. Severus could tell that she was nervous, and did not
know how to act around him after their last interaction.

Letting out a subtle sigh, Severus took the initiative to speak. But before he could, he was cut off by Hermione soft voice.

“Sir, I want to apologize for whatever I had done to make you angry
with me. I know I can be obnoxious, insufferable and all around a
know-it-all and for those reasons I believe is why you do not want me to
apprentice under you. Which is fine, I don’t think I could handle
someone like me as well.” She said, chuckling lightly.

“It’s just that I really had believed that you had truly considered
keeping me underneath your tutelage. But seeing as I was wrong, I
cannot stop wondering why. I won’t ask you for your reasons since you
made it quite clear that no matter what I say will not persuade you to
change your mind.”

When the music died down and they stopped moving. Hermione drifted
her gaze downwards, removing her hands off of him and clasping them in
front of her.

“Miss Granger-“

“-I really am sorry to anger you in any way, sir. But thank you,
thank you for allowing me an opportunity to learn from you even how
short it was. For putting up with me all these years and thank you for
saving me countless of times when you did not have too. I know I never
said it before, but you are truly a wonderful professor and person.”
She told him, giving him a wavering smile.

Hermione started to turn away from him, and he knew if he allowed her
to leave without saying something, he would never get a chance as he
would never see her again.

Throwing all caution to the wind, he reached out turning her back
around to face him and tenderly lifted her chin so she would look up at
him. There were tears forming in her eyes. Tears that confused him on
why they were there in the first place. He hated seeing such a look on
her face. He wanted her to know the true reason why he couldn’t mentor
her. The thought to let her leave here thinking that she had done
something wrong to get his ire did not suit him well.

“Miss Granger….Hermione.” He said, his eyes locking on her
own soft amber hues. “You did not do anything wrong. You did not make
me angry, on the contrary it is I who I’m mad at, not you. My reasons
for not continuing your apprenticeship with me is because of my feelings
for you. If word got out about how I felt, it would not bode well for
you when you are able to take your test in the end. There would be
questions, suspicions on what is going on between us. And that alone
can ruin your chances of becoming a Potions Mistress.”

“Sir?”

“Please let me finish. My feelings for you go beyond those of one a
teacher should have for a student. And even though you are no longer a
student of mine, I still feel this way towards you. For these reasons
are why I rejected your apprenticeship.” He released her chin, his dark
eyes gazing down at her.

The Gryffindor averted her own away from his while he had spoken.
Her face was flushed and no doubt by embarrassment that a man such as
he would confess his feelings for her.

Running a hand through his hair, he closed his eyes, letting out a
heavy breath of air. He had said what needed to be said, and decided to
take his leave. A leave that never happened when the feel of gentle
soft velvet lips press against his cheek out of the blue. Eyes opening
quickly, Severus stared down at her smiling face with a startled look
upon his own.

“Thank you, for telling me. I must agree, trying to study underneath
you for another two years was going to be a challenge for me as well,
sir. I must admit my feelings for you go farther than infatuation a
student has for authoritative figure.

“I enjoyed our conversations we had, they were quite exhilarating
even though sometimes we argued, but I still enjoyed them. I loved
listening to you speak as well. I could listen to your voice all day,
to tell you the truth. It’s alluring, and smooth like dark chocolate.”
She paused looking into his dark liquid eyes. “There is so much I want
to know about you. I want to know more about your youth, your young
adolescent years and so forth. I know your past is dark and full of
things that you might believe I do not want to hear, or what you do not
wish for me to know. But I want to hear it all.”

Looking away from him again, a small smile danced upon her lips
as she continued. “I must admit something now to you. Just in case
you don’t believe what I just said. Those days when you were showing me
a new potion and we brewed it several times and I couldn’t get the
intricate stirring technique down right. Well, I purposely stirred it
wrong so you could show me how. I already knew how, and I know you knew
it doesn’t really take me long to get a grasp of something right away.
Even so, I did act as if I didn’t know so I could feel your hand on
mine.” She said sheepishly, peering at him through her lashes as a
pastel crimson hue dusted her cheeks.

“You’re saying that….that you like me?” He asked in a shocked voice.
His mind hardly believing what his ears heard her say. She liked him
more than admiration that she, Hermione Granger was in fact in love with
him.

“Not like, but love. I know it’s too soon to say, but yes my feelings for you run quite deep.”

His eyes never swayed away from her face, he stood there in silence,
processing all this in. Feeling one corner of his mouth curve into a
smirk, he placed a gentle hand upon her face, caressing her smooth cheek
bone with his calloused thumb.

“Well it seems our feelings are mutual.”

“It seems so, sir.” She replied, tilting her head into his palm.

“Call me Severus. Sir doesn’t sound right, Hermione.” He told her
as he leant forward, his face mere centimeters away from her own.

“No, it doesn’t. Especially in this situation.” He whispered,
closing the remaining distance, and kissing her sweetly and passionately
on the lips. Not caring that everyone in the room were staring at them
with wide eyes and gaping mouths.

Write a Review
Did you enjoy my story? Please let me know what you think by leaving a review! Thanks,
sammi0987

gabita123mb:
This story kept me up all night and the plot was great. I love how the author keep going with the story even though she was not interested in writing it anymore, but you may think "so as she didn't want to continue with it, it might be bad" Nooo is the complete opposite is such a beautiful book a...

alice:
Ok, so at first I didn't like it and didn't really want to like it either, because I thought it was going to be like all the other sexist-werewolf-arranged-marriage stories, with characters that don't actually have a character or opinion. But this one starts off the way but after only a few chapt...

VictimOfMyFeelings:
This story is too amazing. Every single detail is spectacular. The plot is very detailed and well planned. The writing style is powerful and at the same time easy to understand. Not to mention that it is edited and doesn’t have grammar mistakes.

Madeline2911:
This is the second time I have this story and I have fallen in love with it all over again. I just can't get enough of your books. They are well written and the plot is developed really well. Please continue writing!

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